Allow me to show off the poster for “The Crazy Story” which was given to me by the screenwriter (and poster designer), 10-year old Estefanni. I had the privilege of mentoring her thru the Young Storytellers Foundation — where I get to school aspiring writers in the basic tools of dramatic structure (this is the screenplay format, this is what “protagonist” and “antagonist” means, this is called a “dénouement,” etc) and then let their creativity run wild.

Esteffani’s script was an epic about Fiona Lee, an orphan who was stolen from her hapless parents (The Duke and Duchess of the town of Willow) and raised in an orphanage in the nearby less reputable Busy Town, where she has to deal with her orphan rival Elizabeth. But one day Fiona and Elizabeth find a magic door that transports them to Willow, where they decide to become friends and embark on a quest to find Fiona’s real parents. Luckily they meet a young boy who runs his family’s shop and has good teeth, and he gives Fiona his family’s talking Magic Rock who drops clues that eventually lead the kids to the Duke and Duchess’ palace. But now they have to find a way to sneak past the guards and the maids…

I won’t give away the exciting conclusion but there’s tickle rays, matching birthmarks and, of course, fart powder. Oh, and the moral at the end after Fiona discovers her royal roots: she asks the Magic Rock why it helped her, and it says because even though she was special, Fiona always treated everyone else with respect.

I love this story and I can’t claim any creative input on it. Really, once she got going I only encouraged her to keep thinking if she got stuck on a plot point, and made sure she finished it on time. I gotta admit I get more out of these mentor gigs than I bet the young writers do. Watching the ease at which kids throw these amazing unfiltered stories out, create worlds and express themselves is inspiring — and humbling.